Petition from inhabitants of Rowan County concerning the county boundaries

Whitson, Thomas; Et Al.

1771

Volume 09, Pages 91-92

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[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

To his Excellency Josiah Martin Esquire his Majesties Capt General, Govournour and Commander in Chief in and over the province of North Carolina his Majesties Honourable Councill and house of Burgesses—

The petition of the Inhabitants of the upper Settlement of the Catawba River Yadkin River and three Creeks Humbly Sheweth

That we your Humble petitioners being part of the Great County of Rowan and near one hundred and forty miles from Salisbury our present Seat of Justice and never has had the opportunity of having any magistrate yet in our Settlement so that we Cannot Recover any Small Debts without Infinate trouble and Cost, which said Distance is Chiefly attended with Several Dangerous waters and Many other bad properties which puts our Settlement to many disadvantages and this being the third time we have petitioned for a County—

We therefore Most Humbly Beg your Excellency and Honours Would take this our Necessity into your prudent Considerations and Grant us a Seperate County Agreeable to a former petition viz—Begining at Beatys ford Wheare Tryon Line Crosses the Catawba River then Runing up the South side of the said River to the Mouth of Lower Little River then Runing a straight Course to the Mulbery fields upon the Yadkin River from thence a North Course to the top of the Blue Ridge from thence along the top of the said Mountain to Wheare Tryon Line Crosses the said Mountain then Down the said Line to the Begining which will Contain one hundred miles in Length and sixty miles in width Chiefly thick setled, and as we Conceive fully able to Support a County as we allow we have at this time About two thousand taxables and Better and your petitioners as in Duty Bound will ever pray